Louver mechanism for attic ventilation



March 8, 1949; A. w. SCHILD 2364,00)

LOUVER MECHANISM FOR ATTIC VENTILATION Filed Feb. 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l o ATTIC SPACE fl/ i SUCTION FA N CWAMBER INVENTOR.

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March 8, 1949. A. w. SCHILD 2,464,000

LOUVER MECHANISM FOR ATTIC VENTILATION Filed Feb. 12, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 %S J j -M: @2 16: 23 fl 6 23 v I .K

INVENTOR.

Patented Mar. 3, 1949 VEN TILATION August .W. Schild, Houston, Tex. Application February 12, 1948, Serial No. 647,100

3 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a noiseless automatic Venetian grille or louver construction for attic ventilation or the like.

The primary object of the invention is to pro-.

Fig. 1 is a vertical section showing the grille.

installed for ventilation of an attic.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of the grille.

Fig. 8 is a vertical section of the grille open.

Fig. 4 is a vertical section of the grille closed.

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55 of Fig. 3, and

Fig. 6 is a plan of the structure shown in Fig. 5.

Referring to the drawings in detail, l0 designates a frame which is shown as rectangular and installed in an attic ceiling above which is the attic space 2. The ceiling joists 3 support a housing l4 over the ceiling opening l5, said housing having a suction chamber IS, a fan chamber H in which a ventilating fan is adapted to be installed, a reinforcing frame l8, and an outlet opening I 9.

The grille comprises a plurality of spaced parallel grille slats or shutter blades 20 which extend across the frame from side to side. These slats or blades are hinged to the frame sides and to a central frame bar 21 by tape hinges 22. Bars 2|, which constitute governor bars, connect the blades at and intermediate their ends so that the latter will open and close together. The blades 20 are attached to the bars 2| by strands 26 which are passed or looped around the bars 2| in side grooves or notches 23 of the latter, tied at thetop as indicated at 24, and anchored by staples or other suitable fasteners 25 to the bars 25. These strands are passed through the tapes 22, which tapes are looped around the blades or slats 20 of the louvers and secured to the frame to hinge the slats to the frame sides and to the frame bar 21. The tapes 22 are fastened to the frame sides and to the frame bar 21 in any suitable manner, preferably by fastening the overlapping ends of the doubled or looped tapes 22 to the frame sides and to the frame bar 21 by nails 28 or the like, so as to permit the slats or blades 20 to move freely up and down to open and closed position without noise. The blades 2|! overlap when closed, thus closing the ventilating opening and avoiding the necessity of using a screen beneath the opening and blades of the louver.

A counterbalancing spring S is connected at one end to the centralbar 2| by a rod 29 and hook 30, and at the other end to an upright post 3| fixed on the end of the frame l0 away from which the louver blades or slats close. A screw 32 is threaded into the end of the central bar 2| adjacent the post 3| and is adapted to contact said post 3| to limit, opening of the louver blades 20 so as to prevent them from passing dead center and to thereby insure closing thereof by gravity against the action or tension of the relatively weak spring 28 and under the weight of the bars 2|. The spring 28 assists the opening of the grille blades under the action of the fan suction and prevents the shutter blades from closing too fast, thereby eliminating noise or rattle from flapping of the blades open and closed, as is the case when usual metal hinges are employed.

What I claim is:

1. A noiselessly operable louver structure comprising, a frame having therein an opening for flow of air therethrough, a set of gravity closed slats extending across said frame and over said opening, hinge means connecting said slats to said frame for opening and closing movements of said slats relative to each other to control flow of air through said opening, said hinge means comprising loops of flexible material extending around said slats and brought together and fastened to said frame adjacent to one edge of each slat, whereby the inherent flexibility of the mate-"- rial from which said loops are formed provides for noiseless swinging movements of said slats between open and closed positions relative to each said frame adjacent to one edge of each slat, whereby the inherent flexibility of the material from which said loops are formed provides for noiseless swinging movements of said slats between open and closed positions relative to each other, a bar extending transversely relative to post to limit opening movements of the slats.

AUGUST W. SCHILD.

REFERENCES man The following references are of record in the tile of this patent:

v UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 163,679 Merrill May 25, 1875 2,299,833 Mader Oct. 27, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 12,362 Australia Apr. 30, 1933 29,275 Australia Sept. 29, 1930 Australia July '7, 1937 

